Whole30 and Five Guys

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When I was in the middle of my Whole30 (a month and half ago!) I wrote to Five Guys about their ingredients. Even though they have their nutritional info online, I grilled them (no pun) about any hidden ingredients that might now have been mentioned. I just now heard back from them. Here's what they said:

Since 1986 Five Guys has focused on serving the freshest product in the simplest way possible. We do not add

are sauteed on a flat top grill as they are with NO oil or butter. Our produce is cut fresh daily and does not have

anything added to it as well. In fact, our nutritional information is located on website www.fiveguys.com if you

would like you can also find the Five Guys story located under the About us tab.

So, in the case of Five Guys, if you are willing to have a hamburger patty on a lettuce "bun" with just vegetables of various sorts as condiments, sounds like they would be legal in the Whole30 world. Since finishing the Whole30, I've been glad that I did this sort of research. I'm not eating out nearly as much, but when I do, I often just go paleo for that meal and that helps me feel like I'm not eating a bunch of garbage just because I'm eating out.

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Now a question: Is 80% lean beef good? I don't mind eating 80% beef (its on the cheaper side, and the pre-formed sirloin burgers I purchased at Sams club are 80% with no additives). I mean, I know 90% is BETTER in terms of being lean, but I'd like some clarification on this?

And thank you..... This affirms my idea of going to Five Guys for lunch one day (very close to my job) YIPPEE for being able to eat out, at junk food spots even, without the bad choices and guilt!!!

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Now a question: Is 80% lean beef good? I don't mind eating 80% beef (its on the cheaper side, and the pre-formed sirloin burgers I purchased at Sams club are 80% with no additives). I mean, I know 90% is BETTER in terms of being lean, but I'd like some clarification on this?

And thank you..... This affirms my idea of going to Five Guys for lunch one day (very close to my job) YIPPEE for being able to eat out, at junk food spots even, without the bad choices and guilt!!!

Remember, fat isn't bad (especially if it's from grass-fed beef). 80/20, 90/10. Who cares as long as the source is good?

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Excellent! Now could you please start harassing Chipotle? They need to clean up their act. They could so easily be Whole30 compliant.

You can eat Chipotle on the Whole30--just not all that many things there. You can have a salad (no dressing) with carnitas, any kind of salsa except corn, and guacamole. The combination is pretty good.

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I can't stand the carnitas. So for me, Chipotle is out until they come around on the chicken or steak. Interestingly, Chipotle was one of my first reintroductions last round. I didn't eat cheese or sour cream, so I was still Whole30 compliant except for the marinade/oil. I was sick as a dog. And I pride myself on having an absolutely iron stomach! As so many others report, I guess I became way more sensitive to bad stuff after eating so clean.

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I'm with you there. I ate them while I was doing Whole30 because nothing else was allowed, but preferred almost anything else. I know they cook the other meats in soybean oil, but what's in the marinade that's bad?

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So I just went to 5 guys and was excited about things, but then I did a little more research. Turns out the mushrooms are listed as having high fructose corn syrup in them. However....on their nutritional page, the bacon shows a sugar count of 0. do you think the bacon is okay?

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So I just went to 5 guys and was excited about things, but then I did a little more research. Turns out the mushrooms are listed as having high fructose corn syrup in them. However....on their nutritional page, the bacon shows a sugar count of 0. do you think the bacon is okay?

Mushrooms have sugar in them if you buy them fresh from the farm too... it's the ingredients that counts and with what appears to be 1 gram of sugar, it would seem that this is naturally occurring sugar as in all fruits and veggies... you'd have to ask at the restaurant to see what they put WITH the mushrooms to know if they're compliant or not.

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High fructose corn syrup Who the heck put HCFS in mushrooms for pete's sake?! So glad the last 5 Guys I had was pre W30. I guess it's just onions and jalapenos for me from now on. Thanks for posting the link.

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Mushrooms come in a bag with a “juice” before they are drained and then sautéed on the grill. This is where the sugar comes from and I’m sure it’s a preservative. Everything else is fresh and cut every morning though.

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Mushrooms come in a bag with a “juice” before they are drained and then sautéed on the grill. This is where the sugar comes from and I’m sure it’s a preservative. Everything else is fresh and cut every morning though.

That still makes it out for the program regardlless of whether the item is drained or what the reasoning is behind adding HFCS to the product. Good to know the rest is cut fresh tho!